No Such Thing as Perfect
by Belle88
Summary: Courtney and Jason struggling to keep their love together. Will it be strong enough to surive?
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital or any of its characters.

A/N: In this story Carly has just been found and returned home that day. Ric got away everyone believed that Liz had no idea.

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Courtney lay awake in Jason's arms while he slept peacefully. " Why can't it always be like this?" She thought to herself. "Maybe now we'll finally be able to get married and have all of our dreams come true." She thought happily before sighing and falling asleep, feeling safe in Jason's embrace.

The next morning Courtney woke up with a smile on her face thinking of Jason. She rolled over only to find him gone and his spot on the bed cold. She crawled out of bed and walked downstairs, hoping to find him there but no such luck. Only a quickly written note 

__

Hey,

Sorry about leaving early, I have to work; they may have a lead on Ric. I'll try to call you later. How about meeting me at Kelly's for lunch around 12:00? I love you.

Jason

"So close to perfect and then...work." she sighed. It was only 10:30 so Courtney had a while before she had to leave to meet Jason. " Why can't we just have one normal day? Wake up together, spend the day having fun and then go to sleep together."

She realized she had asked for this, everyone had warned her, but that didn't keep her from wanting a normal life with Jason. Maybe if she could just go out and _do_ something, but nothing could be done without a guard, nothing could be done normally. She then curled up on the couch and hugged her legs and wondered about the situation she was in. So in love she'd be miserable if anything happened, yet still was left upset with so many new things. She quickly shook the thought from her head, she loved Jason and was lucky enough to be with him, that was worth anything.

She jumped up and ran to take a shower and get dressed. He was going to meet her for lunch and she wanted to look great, just for him. She had a bounce in her step as she walked to the elevator with a smile on her face thinking about the time they do get to have together and she wanted to savor ever second of it.

A/N What do you think? Should I keep going with this story? Any reviews would be greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

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Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital or any of its characters.

Courtney walked into Kelly's and scanned the room, but Jason wasn't there yet. She sat down at a table and ordered a cup of coffee to drink while she waited.

An hour and two cups of coffee later Jason still hadn't arrived and Courtney was beginning to get worried about him. "I bet nothing's wrong." She told herself " It's probably just work stuff again or maybe he just...forgot." She had been trying to make herself feel better but suddenly had tears in her eyes. The thought had just popped into her head with out her even knowing she was thinking it. He must have forgotten. Her cell phone ringing jolted her from her worried daze and she rushed to answer it, because she knew who had to be on the other end. 

"Jason?!"  


"Hey sorry I didn't get to call sooner, but things got tied up and I won't be able to make it to lunch."

At least he didn't forget she thought to herself as he told her what she already knew. 

"So I guess I'll just see you tonight then," She said sadly 

"Yah"

"I love you"

"Bye"

"Bye"

Courtney's heart hurt. Not because of their broken date, but because of something much simpler than that. Jason hadn't said, "I love you" back. He'd never forgotten that before. She understood it was just a simple mistake, but she still felt incredibly uneasy. It was probably just all the built up emotions and stress from the past few days. She picked up her purse and left on her way to see the one person who could even begin to understand what she was feeling. She only hoped Carly was feeling well enough to talk about her silly problems.


	3. Chapter 3

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Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital or any of its characters.

Courtney knocked softly on the door of Sonny and Carly's penthouse. She was fidgeting with shame that she had come to vent on Carly after all she had been through in the past few days. But honestly who else could she go to, no one else could really relate to her feelings and if she didn't talk to someone soon she was going to explode.

Carly opened the door and yelled " Oh I'm so glad your here, I have missed having you to talk to soo much you wouldn't even believe it!! Come in come in" 

Carly grabbed Courtney's arm and hauled her happily into the PH. She was so overjoyed to see her best girl friend that she over looked the sad gaze lingering in her crystal blue eyes. 

"So talk, something good I am in desperate need of girl talk." 

"Where is Sonny?" Courtney asked delaying her real reason for coming, she figured if she chickened out she could just talk about other things.

"At the store with Michael, isn't that great! He's stocking up on a week's worth of junk food for me. That was his deal, I can eat whatever the hell I want for one week and then back to his choice of my foods, well that what he thinks." She said with a giggle. 

" Yah it's awesome."

"Yes I think so, but I also think there is something more important than my diet that

you wanted to talk about." Carly said catching on to the distance in her friend's unusually dull eyes.

"How do you do that? How do you ask me what's wrong when you just came back from hell? How do y-"

"So the life style is getting to you isn't it?"

"And how do you know what I'm thinking even before I say it?"

"What happened I thought you were getting along fine, I though you were adjusted."

"So did I and then... I don't know what it is I just feel so stressed and trapped recently and I can't put my finger on the reason, which just makes me even more irritated. And then when Jason is with me it's ok you know? He makes things better just by being there, but he can't always be there. He has work at strange and long hours leaving me alone and I mean what I wouldn't give to have a 9 to 5 kinda thing. Waking up in the same position we fell asleep, not cold and alone. But I can't ask for that, I agreed when this started I was up for it and I understood what I was getting into. I can't ask for more time with the one thing that makes this worth doing, and then this morning I got kind of upset because he forgot to say "I love you" after he canceled our lunch date and-" 

"Oh honey I know that hurt, but he was probably just distracted."

"I know I think I got even more upset that I even got upset in the first place.."

Sonny walked in just then with Michael and brown grocery bags in tow. 

"Aunt Courtney guess what? I'm going to make mommy pizza tonight."

Carly's eyes lit up at the though of pizza and of her son making it for her.

"And we may even have ice cream for dessert" Sonny said with a smile

"There is no maybe involved we _are _having it" Carly laughed as she got up to hug her husband. Courtney got up to go but before she could leave Carly grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, 

"Talk to Jason, it's the only way things will get fixed and he loves you, he'll do anything to make you happy."

Courtney smiled and hugged Carly, Michael and her big brother before she left to walk across the hall to her own, probably empty penthouse.

At that same time Carly rested her head on Sonny's shoulder so happy be held by the man she thought she might never see again. "I love you too," Sonny said reading her mind. Even as a clatter came from the direction of the kitchen and a mildly frightened looking Michael peaked around the corner Carly smiled. Sonny picked up his son and hugged him, before sweeping him off to the kitchen to clean up whatever mess had been made and finish making mommy pizza. As that delicious smell began to fill the room Carly thought to herself "This is as close to perfect as it gets" and she walked into the kitchen to be with her boys.


	4. Chapter 4

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Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital or any of its characters

It was almost 9:30 when Jason finally returned to the penthouse. It had been one of the more stressful days he'd had in a while. Not only was he tracking Ric, who had managed to vanish without a trace, he was also conduction all normal business without any help from Sonny. Of course it was perfectly understandable why he would take a break to be with Carly, but it didn't make things any easier for Jason. It also meant it would be longer until he could take some time for just him and Courtney. He realized how hard this time had been on her. Her wedding, a day meant to be the most special one in her life, was canceled and her best friend was missing. And to his knowledge not one person had been there for her to lean on, or even ask how she was holding up, she had stood alone and was strong for everyone else. She reassured everyone else and received nothing in return. He felt so guilty about that, he had shut down, and become obsessed with finding Carly. 

"I should have been there for her more," He thought. Adding more stress to himself. He tried to push all thoughts out of his head as he opened the door to the penthouse desperately craving a good nights sleep. 

When he opened the door he spotted Courtney curled up on the sofa writing something. At the sound of the door her head shot up to see Jason's fierce blue eyes and a smile exploded onto her face. 

"Hey" she said

"Hey yourself," he replied tiredly as he took of his jacket and joined her on the couch.

"So, I was thinking, now that Carly is back and all we can start re-planning the wedding an-"

"Court," he interrupted "do we have to talk about the wedding _right_ now, I mean we just sat down" 

He cut himself off realizing how terrible this must sound to her. Confirming his suspicion were two stunningly blue, tear filled eyes staring back at him. "That's not what I meant," he thought in a panic.

"Court, I just meant that-"

"No, your right" She cut him off, "You had a long day and we don't need to talk about this right now. Anyway I'm really tired so I'm just going to head on up to bed."

He knew she was lying, it wasn't even 10 o'clock yet. And the feeling that she would lie to get away from him ripped his heart apart. She looked like a kicked puppy as she climbed the stairs with her head down and soft blonde hair covering her face.

When Jason went up to check on her an hour later and his heart dropped when he saw her tear stained cheeks. "I made her cry" he though and was almost sick to his stomach, "So much for a good night sleep" Knowing that every time he closed his eyes he would see her crying the tears he'd promised to keep away. 


End file.
